Policemen check the identity of people in Barcelona after a van ploughed into a crowd of people, killing 13 people (AFP Photo/Josep LAGO)

Two men have been arrested after a white van ploughed into a crowd of people in a busy Barcelona tourist district, killing at least 13 and injuring 80 others.

The Islamic State Group claimed responsibility for the attack via their Amaq News Agency. ISIS frequently declares involvement in incidents across the world so their claims should be treated with caution, though Catalan Police have confirmed the incident is a terror attack.

Local police also said a driver later ran over two police officers at a checkpoint elsewhere in the city, but it was not clear if the incidents were linked.

The horrifying attack took place at around 5pm local time, when the vehicle careered into terrified pedestrians in the busy tree-lined promenade in Las Ramblas, one of the most popular parts of the city, visited by tourists and locals alike.

Police have released a photo of a man named as Driss Oubakir, who is alleged to have rented the van used to drive into pedestrians.

Local media say he is in his 20s, and was born in Morocco. It is unclear if he is one of those arrested.